For most of these suburbs, it VERY much depends on which area within the suburb. some of these comments may be out of date as demographics are changing rapidly.
Altona - nice near the beach, very nice indeed and priced accordingly. Once you get inland, very polluted by industry and a LOT of social housing exists. Not a kind suburb weatherwise as very hot in summer and quite windswept in winter. Very little public transport.
Broadmeadows - bad reputation from inception for crime and poverty, used to have lots of industry too. Now in a growth corridor and a lot of infill is happening. Public transport is shit away from the railway line. My sister lives in Jacana, which used to be part of Broady, and the housing stock is pretty run down all through that area. Was developed as a dormitory suburb for all the heavy industry workers, so build quality tended to be the cheapest possible at the time. Which actually is better quality than some of the developments going up nowadays. Broady had a really nasty reputation for crime which may be out of date now.
Flemington - bits are nice, but the rest is pretty shit. Good public transport and good shops and services. Near the Showgrounds and racetrack can get crowded in party season. Some bits flood prone. Quite close to city, so services are pretty good. Tends to be crowded and blocks and houses/flats are small or very expensive indeed. Heidelberg - exxy and nice but very hilly. Public transport is patchy - buses and train. Good views out over the valley to the Dandenongs. Heidelberg Heights aka Bellfield, though, is another industrial suburb with a lot of social housing and historical high crime rates. Also contains the worst shopping mall in Melbourne. Was developed for the 1956 olympics as the athletes village so houses are small and poky by current standards, but the blocks are fairly big. Inner North - a lot more fashionable than it used to be, but again depends on which bit. Generally, good services and good public transport. You really don’t need a car in that area.
Hope this helps.
For most of these suburbs, it VERY much depends on which area within the suburb. some of these comments may be out of date as demographics are changing rapidly. Altona - nice near the beach, very nice indeed and priced accordingly. Once you get inland, very polluted by industry and a LOT of social housing exists. Not a kind suburb weatherwise as very hot in summer and quite windswept in winter. Very little public transport. Broadmeadows - bad reputation from inception for crime and poverty, used to have lots of industry too. Now in a growth corridor and a lot of infill is happening. Public transport is shit away from the railway line. My sister lives in Jacana, which used to be part of Broady, and the housing stock is pretty run down all through that area. Was developed as a dormitory suburb for all the heavy industry workers, so build quality tended to be the cheapest possible at the time. Which actually is better quality than some of the developments going up nowadays. Broady had a really nasty reputation for crime which may be out of date now. Flemington - bits are nice, but the rest is pretty shit. Good public transport and good shops and services. Near the Showgrounds and racetrack can get crowded in party season. Some bits flood prone. Quite close to city, so services are pretty good. Tends to be crowded and blocks and houses/flats are small or very expensive indeed.
Heidelberg - exxy and nice but very hilly. Public transport is patchy - buses and train. Good views out over the valley to the Dandenongs. Heidelberg Heights aka Bellfield, though, is another industrial suburb with a lot of social housing and historical high crime rates. Also contains the worst shopping mall in Melbourne. Was developed for the 1956 olympics as the athletes village so houses are small and poky by current standards, but the blocks are fairly big.
Inner North - a lot more fashionable than it used to be, but again depends on which bit. Generally, good services and good public transport. You really don’t need a car in that area.
Hope this helps.